Dear Church Family,

In the regular normal life of the church, one of our monthly celebratory events is to come together for Holy Communion. In these times, I believe communion remains important and an opportunity to proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ together. Therefore, we have decided that we will celebrate communion together spiritually, even though we are distanced physically.

This Sunday, April 5 at 10:30 a.m., and Maundy Thursday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m., we will have communion! Here are some brief instructions to participate:

Instructions for Communion for Sunday April 5 (10:30 a.m.) and Maundy Thursday, April 9 (7:00 p.m.)

1) Gather the following items and place on a table near where you will be watching on your computer/phone

a. Grape Juice (you can substitute wine or water)

b. Bread (this can be bread or crackers, without flavoring if possible)

2) Prior to the beginning of the service:

a. Place a small amount of “juice” in a small cup/glass for each person

b. Place the bread/crackers on a plate, covered by a napkin (white if possible)

3) When the worship service begins, enter into it with your heart open to God

a. Sing out loud during worship

b. Respond out loud during the communion liturgy

c. The communion elements will be blessed (virtually) during the worship

d. You will be instructed during the service when to take the “juice” and bread/crackers

4) When the service is over, the unused elements can be drunk/eaten freely.

Prayer connects us to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer is also a way we can help each other from a distance. “For the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective” (James 5:16). As part of your prayer life, I invite you to pray for those on our prayer list. Normally the prayer list is included in our weekly bulletin. Because of our on-line services, we have decided to send you these weekly prayer lists via email. Please find attached the prayer list for this week, beginning Sunday, March 29. Spend time lifting up each of these names to God who hears our prayers. Even if you do not know the person or the situation, God does know and your prayers are meaningful. If you have prayer concerns you would like to add or if there are corrections to this list, please contact Jessica Jones at churchoffice@fumcirving.org. Thank you for being a praying people!

I look forward to connecting with you as a church family through communion and our prayers.

In Christ,

Doug

Worship Schedule:

April 5, Palm Sunday, 10:30 am

April 9, Maundy Thursday, 7:00 pm

April 10, Good Friday, 7:00 pm

April 12, Easter Sunday, 10:30 am

We have many prayer requests during this time.  We especially lift up these Covid 19 Related Concerns